The demands in football are becoming increasingly harder and every year we see records being broken. There is no room for complacency in the Premier League and to survive player‘s must ensure they are in ultimate condition.
This involves a strenuous training program and requires players to be as fit as the athletic stars. As the new season edges closer mangers will have plenty of cardio sessions in place to get their squads in shape. But one thing that has dramatically changed during the Premier League era is the diet of the players.
Footballers always had a physique that enabled them to keep running for long distances but the Premier League is now more aware of the benefits of a good diet. We wanted to find out more about what the top players are eating to give them the edge.
The World Sports Food Fight is a new interactive tool that identifies what footballers are eating and how their diet is based around their performance needs. It helps show what kind of foods the top stars use to enable them to make it at the top level.
Surprisingly footballers will consume more calories than the average man. They consume 3800 calories on a daily basis which is 800 more than the average Joe, although they manage to keep their athletic physique. This is because they are required to reach exceptionally high energy levels both during training and in matches.
The large pitch means that players can run up to 6.5 miles in an average match. A box to box midfielder will run more and can reach up to 9.5 miles. Players will also do a lot of sprinting, cutting and tackling during games which uses up a lot more energy. Depending on their position they can burn up to 3000 calories in an average game.
That’s a huge amount of energy used in games so it is vital that the players fuel their bodies correctly. The calories must come from the right sources though if the players are to remain in good condition. Their diet will be high in carbohydrates and you can expect them to have a carb intake at every meal.
To give them the energy for the morning training session they will eat cereal as well as toast. Then for lunch more carbs in the form of bread and that will be followed by a serving of pasta with their 3 evening meal. The players will also require a diet that is high in sugar and will snack on yoghurt, muffins and ice cream.
The interactive also allows you to compare the diets used in a range of sports. You can see how American Sports require the players to eat differently to English sports and see which athletes eat the most. It is highly educational and can benefit young players who are looking for a way to increase their performance level.